The family of a woman who died after fatally shooting two police officers in a firefight in Mississippi in front of her daughter have expressed their disbelief.
Amy Anderson, 43, died from a fatal chest wound after killing Sergeant Steven Robin, 34, and Officer Branden Estorffe, 23, of the Bay St. Louis Police.
Anderson’s relative, Breanne Anderson Simmons, posted an emotional post on Facebook thanking her friends and family for their support during this difficult time.
“I wanted to post and say that we are deeply saddened and so grateful for your kind words to us,” she wrote.
“Please continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.”
The family of Amy Anderson, who died after fatally shooting two police officers in a firefight in Mississippi in front of her daughter, have expressed their disbelief at the incident
Mississippi Sgt. Steven Robin, 34, (left) and officer Branden Estorffe, 23, (right) were both killed after Anderson opened fire on them in a Motel 6 parking lot in Bay St. Louis
On the post, a friend of Simmons wrote: “Girls. I’m so sad to hear this news about Amy.
“This isn’t the Amy we all knew so well. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Don’t let the social media bullies get to you.
Seargeant Robin and Officer Estorffe saw Anderson with their eight-year-old daughter on Wednesday morning and after speaking to her for 40 minutes decided to call Child Protective Services.
Anderson opened fire on the officers, hitting them both. Sergeant Robin died at the scene while Officer Estorffe died at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport.
Police continue to work to determine if Anderson’s death was self-inflicted or related to the crossfire.
Anderson had three children and lived in Ocean Springs, according to Facebook.
She had worked as a vet at MedVet Mobile and Lakeview Animal Hospital.
A former colleague of Anderson’s told that she had only been employed at Lakeview Veterinary Hospital for around 33 days before the shooting, despite having worked as the local vet for many years.
Anderson’s relative, Breanne Anderson Simmons, posted an emotional post on Facebook thanking her friends and family for their support during this difficult time
Anderson was a local vet and reportedly a mother of three
They described Anderson as a “very, very compassionate person” who “cried over a bearded lizard” being treated at the practice.
The source added that it’s “hard to judge someone” you’ve only known for a few weeks, but Anderson’s actions are “definitely not something they expected or saw coming.”
The girlfriend of one of the police officers shot in Mississippi posted a heartbreaking tribute to the fallen officer.
Madison Bartlett called Brendan Estorffe her “best friend and the most selfless man I know,” alongside a slew of stunning pictures of them.
Barlett, who in previous posts alluded to a former partner — her child’s father — who was “narcissistic” and “abusive,” credited Estorffe with teaching her “what it’s like to be loved.”
She added that Estorffe loved her daughter Baylor “as if she were your own. You were patient, kind and lively.
“The most selfless person I know. I don’t want this life without you.’ She continued, “Love you forever Branden Estorffe,” the devastated young woman wrote.
Branden Estorffe and girlfriend Madison Bartlett. The heartbroken Bartlett published a tribute to her fallen officer, calling him the “most selfless man I know.”
Police officers were investigating the Motel 6 where two St. Louis were booking after the deadly crossfire
In an article years ago, the Vicksburg Post documented Anderson’s rise into the veterinary profession when there were relatively few female veterinarians in the area.
She was following in her father’s footsteps, Dr. Bob Anderson, kicked. Before Amy took up her position at Vicksburg Medical Clinic, the facility had only one veterinarian.
“I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was old enough to know what it was,” she said.
It also appears that Anderson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2017 alongside a man named Royce Jarrell Mize, with whom she shared a last name at the time.
Early this morning, a woman can be heard saying “two officers downstairs” at the motel parking lot scene.
During the tragic morning, neighbors rallied to show their support for local police.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations inspected a police vehicle at the scene
Local residents hung a memorial wreath for the dejected officers as the community gathered to mourn the tragedy
An investigator Tuesday photographed a body inside a Toyota parked in front of a Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis
PJ’s Coffee, a local coffee shop where officers are known to congregate, provided investigators with hot coffee, and community members hung a memorial wreath in honor of the fallen officers.
A local woman told WLOX that she “believes numbers are positive”.
“We’re a strong community and I think we have a lot of support and love from other communities as well…the whole Gulf Coast is one,” said Donna Brignac, manager of PJ’s Coffee.
“I am heartbroken at the terrible loss of two brave police officers,” Gov. Tate Reeves wrote on Twitter. “I pray for her family, friends, colleagues and the entire Bay St. Louis community.”
Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz promised to conduct a thorough investigation to investigate the case.
Investigators blocked off a large portion of the motel parking lot with caution tape on Wednesday.
An officer was seen taking photos from the driver’s seat of the SUV, just a step away from bloodstains on the sidewalk and discarded emergency medical kit.
Other officers looked into a nearby police car parked in the Bay St. Louis neighborhood, a city of 10,000 people about 25 miles west of Biloxi.
A joint funeral for Robin and Estorffe will be held on December 21 at the Bay St. Louis Community Center.